Dataset Information

Associations between types of greenery along neighborhood roads and weight status in different climates.

ABSTRACT: Obesity is a major international health concern. Neighborhood greenery has been identified as a critical factor for promoting health in urban areas, due in part to its apparent role in facilitating healthy weight by promoting physical activity. However, studies have used diverse greenery measures and spatial analysis units to ascertain this relationship. This study examined associations between street greenery and weight status at the residential address level across 500 to 2000m buffers in two climatically distinct communities, Phoenix, AZ, and Portland, OR. Greenery was measured using one-meter landcover data. Street greenery measures were designed to quantify the pedestrian environment along a gradient of suitability for promoting physical exercise. Weight status was defined by body mass index (BMI) calculated from weight and height information on driver's license records. BMI values were dichotomized at 25 into overweight or obese vs. neither. Approximately 500,000 BMI values in Phoenix and 225,000 in Portland were modelled by community using logistic regression. Street tree cover was consistently protective for healthy weight status across all buffer sizes after adjusting for potential confounders. Herbaceous street cover showed protective associations in Phoenix but harmful associations in Portland. Every 10% increase in street tree cover within 2000m was associated with 18% lower odds of being overweight or obese (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.84 in Phoenix; 0.82, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.83 in Portland). When compared to residents with less than 10% street tree cover within 2000m, those with greater than 10% tree cover had at least 13% (AOR for Portland: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.92) lower odds of being overweight or obese. Findings support the importance of urban street trees in very different climates for facilitating healthy weight status. They can inform greenery management to prioritize vegetation type and allocation decisions in limited urban spaces.

SUBMITTER: Tsai WL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6483109 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Associations between types of greenery along neighborhood roads and weight status in different climates.

Tsai Wei-Lun WL Davis Amy J S AJS Jackson Laura E LE

Urban forestry & urban greening 20190501

Obesity is a major international health concern. Neighborhood greenery has been identified as a critical factor for promoting health in urban areas, due in part to its apparent role in facilitating healthy weight by promoting physical activity. However, studies have used diverse greenery measures and spatial analysis units to ascertain this relationship. This study examined associations between street greenery and weight status at the residential address level across 500 to 2000m buffers in two ...[more]

PMID: 31031577

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Project description:Excess body weight is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. Studies have identified neighborhood greenery as supportive of healthy weight. However, few have considered plausible effect pathways for ecosystem services (e.g., heat mitigation, landscape aesthetics, and venues for physical activities) or potential variations by climate. This study examined associations between weight status and neighborhood greenery that capture ecosystem services most relevant to weight status across 28 U.S. communities. Weight status was defined by body mass index (BMI) reported for 6591 women from the U.S. Sister Study cohort. Measures of greenery within street and circular areas at 500 m and 2000 m buffer distances from homes were derived for each participant using 1 m land cover data. Street area was defined as a 25 m-wide zone on both sides of street centerlines multiplied by the buffer distances, and circular area was the area of the circle centered on a home within each of the buffer distances. Measures of street greenery characterized the pedestrian environment to capture physically and visually accessible greenery for shade and aesthetics. Circular greenery was generated for comparison. Greenery types of tree and herbaceous cover were quantified separately, and a combined measure of tree and herbaceous cover (i.e., aggregate greenery) was also included. Mixed models accounting for the clustering at the community level were applied to evaluate the associations between neighborhood greenery and the odds of being overweight or obese (BMI > 25) with adjustment for covariates selected using gradient boosted regression trees. Analyses were stratified by climate zone (arid, continental, and temperate). Tree cover was consistently associated with decreased odds of being overweight or obese. For example, the adjusted odds ratio [AOR] was 0.92, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.88-0.96, given a 10% increase in street tree cover at the 2000 m buffer across the 28 U.S. communities. These associations held across climate zones, with the lowest AOR in the arid climate (AOR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.54-1.01). In contrast, associations with herbaceous cover varied by climate zone. For the arid climate, a 10% increase in street herbaceous cover at the 2000 m buffer was associated with lower odds of being overweight or obese (AOR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.55-1.03), whereas the association was reversed for the temperate climate, the odds increased (AOR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.35). Associations between greenery and overweight/obesity varied by type and spatial context of greenery, and climate. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that greenery design in urban planning can support public health. These findings also justify further defining the mechanism that underlies the observed associations.

Dataset Information

Associations between types of greenery along neighborhood roads and weight status in different climates.

Publications

Associations between types of greenery along neighborhood roads and weight status in different climates.

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